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Pak seals borders with Taleban

Two days after Pakistan criticised the Taleban militia for destroying the 2000-year-old Bamiyan Buddha statues, authorities Tuesday sealed the border outpost with Afghanistan following clashes between the border guards of the two countries.

Officials in Islamabad said that the border outpost at Torkham at the Pakistan side of the border in the North Western Frontier Province was sealed after Taleban militia attempted to kidnap two Pakistan border guards.

The skirmishes between the two border guards followed attempts by Taleban militia to hoist its flag on the hills in the Pakistan territory.

The border was closed down at 1430 IST immediately after the incident.

When contacted UN officials involved in the rehabilitation of thousands of Afghan refugees expressed concern at the development.

They said Thorkham checkpost has been closed for the past few weeks as hundreds of refugees were pouring in due to severe drought and civil war in Afghanistan. But Pakistan allowed only travellers with official documents.

Pakistan which shares over 2000 km of porous borders with Afghanistan has two border posts, one near Peshawar and the other at Chaman near Quetta. Both the points have been closed for refugees, UN officials said.

Tuesday's clashes took place two days after Pakistan distanced itself from the Taleban regime which stood ostracised for its decision to destroy the Buddha statues in northern Afghanistan.

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